Homelessness in
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
refers to the issue of
homelessness, a condition wherein people lack a stable and appropriate place of
housing
Housing, or more generally, living spaces, refers to the construction and assigned usage of houses or buildings individually or collectively, for the purpose of shelter. Housing ensures that members of society have a place to live, whether i ...
. The number of homeless people in Indonesia is estimated to be up to 3 million people in the country, over 28,000 in
Jakarta alone.
[Levinson, David. Encyclopedia of homelessness. Vol. 1. Sage, 2004.] A number of terms are used to describe homeless people in Indonesia, including ''tunawisma'', which is used by the government, and ''gelandangan'', meaning "tramp".
Squatters and street homeless people are often targeted by police raids who cite the reason being the homeless people "disturb the attractiveness of the city".
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Forced evictions
One cause of homelessness in Indonesia is forced evictions. According to researchers, between the years 2000 and 2005 over 92,000 people were forcefully evicted from their homes.[Rahardjo, Tjahjono. "Forced eviction, homelessness and the right to housing in Indonesia." In conference on Homelessness: A Global Perspective, New Delhi, pp. 9-13. 2006.]
See also
* Homelessness
* Street children in Indonesia
References
{{Homelessness-stub
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
Society of Indonesia
Social issues in Indonesia